FLIR Black Hornet 3 Palm-sized Drone

US Army soldiers will soon carry with them palm-sized drones, to give them a better view of complex battlefields.

(FLIR Black Hornet 3 drone)

Measuring just 6.6 inches in length and weighing only 1.16 ounces, these "nano unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems" are "small enough for a dismounted soldier to carry on a utility belt," according to FLIR Systems.

These drones can provide situational awareness beyond visual line-of-sight capability day or night at a distance of up to 1.24 miles, covering ground at a max speed of 20 feet per second.

The "nearly silent" combat systems can provide constant covert coverage of the battlefield for almost a half hour, transmitting both live video and high-definition photographs back to the operator.

Science fiction fans beam with pride, recognizing this idea from Golden Age science fiction like the scarab from the 1935 story of the same name by Raymond Z. Gallun, as well as the bee cam from City of Pearl, a 2004 novel by Karen Traviss.